15 ID in Russia 1941

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Re: 15 ID in Russia 1941

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Hello Marc :D; glad to greet you here. Always looking for good info :wink:. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: 15 ID in Russia 1941

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It is in the cemetery. I have passed through Nidda many times. Still have relatives in Lorbach and Hirzenhain; everyone has fled Buedingen for some reason.
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Re: 15 ID in Russia 1941

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Here is a memorial to the 15.Pzjd.Abteilung located in Buedingen, Hesse.
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15.Pzjg.Abt.Memorial
15.Pzjg.Abt.Memorial
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Re: 15 ID in Russia 1941

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Thanks AHK for sharing it with us here :wink: Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: 15 ID in Russia 1941

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Hello to all :D; here goes a new history.......................

Attack of a divisional group with deep snow in winter.

Location: the 15th ID was deployed in a quiet sector of the front, about 60 kilometers east of Wjasma, but was taken out of there and moved to the outskirts of Wjasma itself where it arrived with its last elements on March 29, 1942 at dusk.

After heavy fighting sustained by the division in December and January the unit had available the following forces: IR 81 and IR 88 (each with a battalion and a company of infantry howitzers); the I. / IR 106, the AA 15 (on foot), the AR 15 with 23 le FH 18; the Pi Btl 15 with two companies; the Pz Jäg Abt 15 with two companies without guns and the NA 15.

The effective strength of the companies amounted to 30 men and the morale had recovered thanks to the latest defensive successes and some raids carried out by the reconnaissance patrols.

Troops had recently received warm clothing and the equipment (helmets, belts, etc) had been painted in white. All weapons except the howitzers had been loaded on sleds or skis. The available skis were only for the patrols and messengers.

The railway and the road linking Smolensk with Wjasma, which served as supply routes for the 4th Armored Army and the 9th Army (Germans) were threatened by Russian forces from the north and the south due west of Wjasma and were blocked several times for days. The 106 ID was trying to keep the lines of communication open, at least for the convoys.

From the north a Soviet Cavalry Corps with the 18th Cavalry Division had managed to infiltrate in the gap between the 16th Army and the 9th Army due north of Rshew and marched threatening the road Wjasma-Rshew. The cavalry divisions had only the name and actually possessed a reinforced regiment of riflemen, some artillery and a few tanks.

Source: Angriff einer Divisionsgruppe im Osten im Winter bei tiefem Schnee SCHERZERS MILITAER-NACHRICHTEN. http://www.scherzers-militaer-nachricht ... 007/02/19/ (offline)

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: 15 ID in Russia 1941

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Hello to all :D; here goes something more.......................

Attack of a divisional group with deep snow in winter.

On the evening of March 29, 1942, the 15. ID received from the V AK the following task: it was to attack through Chizhowo to the northwest, and together with the 5 Pz and the 106. ID, was to reject the enemy located north of the highway.

For that effect, some Pz Kw III and IV were subordinated to the 15. ID, while the AA 15 was attached to the 5 Pz. A marching battalion of 900 men of replacement should reach the division on March 30, 1942. The ammunition was scarce, only a few days of fighting, although was announced its resupply.

The attack would take place in an open and gently rolling terrain, passing through a wooded area of ​​about 4-5 km in depth.

The winter weather remained clear and cool (15 degrees Celsius below zero), full moon, snow depth 60-70 cm, in hollows and snowstorms 100 cm.

Preparation: until March 30, 1942, reconnaissance from all commanders. In order not to alert the enemy it was ordered: the maps should be used only indoors, watching from the towns or from checkpoints of the security forces. It was forbidden any kind of escort. The division commander and his first staff officer (Ia) moved some stretches by vehicle and some stretches by sleigh until joining with the security posts on the road in Kostjukowka and Chizhowo. About the enemy it was known that occupied the forests and towns across the road and remained calm in recent days.

At 18:00 hours was discussed with all the commanders and leaders of the tanks the course of action developed using maps scale 1:2500 in order of resolving the task of moving cross-country in deep snow covered terrain, attack and destroy the enemy entrenched in towns and forests and finally crossing and attack already the first day the wooded area of ​​5 km in depth. It was decided to attack along the path running toward Chizhowo to bind later with the Russian winter trails recognized by aerial reconnaissance.

The division refused to divide the 900 inexperienced recruits between combat troops and grouped them nearby the sappers battalion as available reserve.

Source: Angriff einer Divisionsgruppe im Osten im Winter bei tiefem Schnee SCHERZERS MILITAER-NACHRICHTEN. http://www.scherzers-militaer-nachricht ... 007/02/19/ (offline)

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: 15 ID in Russia 1941

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Hello to all :D; here goes something more.......................

Attack of a divisional group with deep snow in winter.

The attack.

On March 31, 1942 sharply at 4:55 hours the tanks began to move toward the front line. While the riflemen of the I. / IR 88 began advancing about 200 yards ahead. Then followed 250 men of replacement, led by sappers with mine detectors, with the task of clearing the snow along the path of about 200 meters long. The first resistance in the forest was soon broken, there the Soviets had built weak parapets with snow on the frozen ground. The attack continued and at 10:00 hours found strong resistance at the edge of the next forest, which was defeated with the fire support of all weapons. The IR 88 continued the attack, while the Pz Jäg Abt 15, attached as reinforcement, covered the right flank.

Meanwhile the I. / IR 81 had completed its preparations for the attack on the village of Karpowo, which was heavily defended. The I. / IR 81 had followed behind the IR 88 and had moved its rifle companies following a path in the forest made ​​by skiers to reach the height of the village (Karpowo). All the heavy weapons of both regiments were placed on the winter road north of Karpowo. Shortly after 12:00 hours the tanks rolled towards Karpowo with their guns pointing south. The batteries of artillery and heavy weapons had conducted fire for effect missions during the morning against the houses and the positions dug into the snow.

Source: Angriff einer Divisionsgruppe im Osten im Winter bei tiefem Schnee SCHERZERS MILITAER-NACHRICHTEN. http://www.scherzers-militaer-nachricht ... 007/02/19/ (offline)

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: 15 ID in Russia 1941

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Hello to all :D; here goes something more.......................

Attack of a divisional group with deep snow in winter.

The attack.

At 12:00 hours all heavy weapons, tanks, artillery and machine guns of the I. / IR 81 opened fire on Karpowo. Simultaneously the rifle companies left the forest. When a position or Russian machine gun nest tried to react, it was neutralized immediately. Some houses began to burn and smoke hid the enemy's men. German soldiers moved slowly through deep snow and under the watchful eye of their commander entered the village.

A portion of the 200 defenders fled west on sleds, leaving about 20 dead and 40 prisoners behind in the defensive positions and snow caves. After cleaning the village, replacement men began building a winter trail from the road towards Karpowo and then to move the heavy weapons of the I. / IR 81 towards the town.

Image
Sketch of the Attack............................

Source: Angriff einer Divisionsgruppe im Osten im Winter bei tiefem Schnee SCHERZERS MILITAER-NACHRICHTEN. http://www.scherzers-militaer-nachricht ... 007/02/19/ (offline)

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: 15 ID in Russia 1941

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Hello to all :D; last part.......................

Attack of a divisional group with deep snow in winter.

The attack.

At 16:00 hours the IR 88 fully conquered an old fortress of Tsarist times and cleared the wooded area west of it. The fighting for the old castle was very hard. The infantry was held there, the tanks advanced through the snow carrying the riflemen on them. An armored rolled over a mine and was damaged in one of its tracks. At 17:00 hours there was a Soviet counterattack with two companies of riflemen toward the edge of the forest west of the aid station, but it was repulsed with bloody losses to the enemy.

Just before dark the IR 88 had reached its goal. After being completed the sleds' trail, the IR 81 moved forward its heavy weapons to Karpowo and then proceeded to Bukhanowo and assaulted locality in middle of the night with bladed weapons. So the unit got the assigned target.

Soviet troops which so far occupied the strongpoints in the wooded area and had not been attacked, tried to break to the west and most of them were dispersed. However the IR 81 had to suffer painful losses yet when one of its security posts located west of Bukhanowo was attacked from behind.

The Russian defensive position with troops of a regiment was crushed by mortar fire, heavy infantry weapons and a battery of artillery and suffered heavy losses; even on the first day of the attack the winter path was reached and it was crossed the wooded area. This success was deepened in the following days. Faced with declining resistance and together with neighboring divisions, the enemy was pushed back away, so the danger on the road from the north was avoided. The casualties on March 31, 1942 amounted to 7 killed and 20 wounded in action.

Source: Angriff einer Divisionsgruppe im Osten im Winter bei tiefem Schnee SCHERZERS MILITAER-NACHRICHTEN. http://www.scherzers-militaer-nachricht ... 007/02/19/ (offline)

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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